Protecting Reproductive Rights

“It’s not enough for us to expect the courts to protect us…We now have an America where most people support Roe v. Wade. We need to make that a federal law” – Elizabeth Warren

Download the Protecting Reproductive Rights one-pager.

WHAT THIS PLAN IS ABOUT

Roe v. Wade established a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion 46 years ago.

But extremist Republican lawmakers want to turn back the clock, outlaw abortion, and deny women access to reproductive care. People are scared and angry about what might happen to reproductive rights, but this isn’t the moment to back down. It’s time to fight back.

Elizabeth’s plan calls on Congress to pass new federal laws that protect access to reproductive care by:

• Guaranteeing reproductive health coverage as part of all health coverage and ensuring that all future health coverage – including Medicare for All – includes contraception and abortion coverage;
• Ensuring equal access and reproductive justice by cracking down on violence at abortion clinics and making sure women are not discriminated against at work or anywhere else for the choices they make about their bodies;
• Creating federal, statutory rights that parallel the constitutional rights in Roe v. Wade and that prohibit states from interfering in the ability of a health care provider to provide medical care; and
• Repealing the Hyde Amendment, ending the Trump Administration’s gag rule, and fully supporting Title X family planning funding.

WHY IT’S NEEDED

Republican lawmakers across the country are enacting or trying to enact extreme abortion bans. One of these new laws bans abortion at every stage of pregnancy and doesn’t even include exceptions for rape and incest.

This year, six states passed laws that would effectively prohibit abortion before many women even learn they are pregnant.

What’s more, these extremist Republican lawmakers know that Roe is the law – but they don’t care. Instead, they are hoping the Supreme Court will back their radical play.

And it may work.

Donald Trump has stacked the courts with extreme, anti-choice judges and rammed through the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to try and cement an anti-choice majority on the Supreme Court.

Our democracy should not be held hostage by right-wing courts, and women should not have to hope that Brett Kavanaugh and Donald Trump’s Supreme Court will respect the law. Congress should act to ensure that the will of the people remains the law of the land.

Want more? Read Elizabeth’s full plan here.

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